Drying device



May 9, 1944. R. B. KEEHNEL DRYING DEVICE Filed April 8, 1940 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 M. m a T 8 N m M m m Y B 7 n ZZBHaM Patented May 9, 1944 UNITED. STATES PATENT OFFICE DRYING DEVICE Roy B. Keehnel, Independence, Mo. Application Apr-118,119, Serial No. 328,493

Claims.

ore-particularly to electrically operated watch cleaning machines for cleaning separated elements of watch movements, the principal objects of the present invention being to provide a convenient, relatively economical, highly efficient and substantially automatic device of the character noted.

Other objects of the present invention are to provide for controlling actuation of a cleaning device drive in response to placement of a cleaning device in desired operative position; to provide for washing, drying, cleaning and drying watch movement elements and removing washing and cleaning-mediums from the elements in the same machine; to provide for directing the cleaning fluid against the watch parts; to provide safety features for protecting the actuating and cleaning mechanisms of this device; to facilitate energizing certain of the elements of the device; to indicate actuation or lack of actuation of the device; to provide for retaining watch movement elements in a des red relation while being cleaned; and to provide 1 proved elements and arrangements of them in a. cleaning device of this character.

In accomplishing these and other objects of the present invention I have provided improved details of structure the preferred form of which is illustrated in the accompanying drawings wherein:

Fig. 1 is aperspective view of a cleaning device embodying the features of the present invention. Fig. 2 is a plan view of my improved cleaning device.

Fig. 3 is a detail vertical section through the cleaning device substantiallyon the line 3-3, Fig. '1.

Fig. 4 is a detail vertical cross-sectional view illustrating the rack and pinion and latch devices therefor in the basket supporting post of the device.

Fig. 5 is an end elevatlonal view of the cleaning device showing the basket in raised :position, parts of the structure being shown in section to better illustrate the construction.

Fig. 6 is a detail vertical cross-section through the basket, particularly illustrating its construction.

Fig. Us a detail perspective view of the basket, the parts thereof being shown in disassembled, spaced relation.

Fig. 8 is a detail perspective view of the bottom of the basket supporting post showing the ar- 'partments 9, III, II, and i2 .devices.

'rangement of the heater switch, relative to a Fig. 10 is a schematic view of a wiring systen' employed in the present device.

Referring more in detail to the drawings:

I, Fig. 1, generally designates a device for cleaning the elements of watch movementsand embodying the features of the present invention, which device preferably consists of a casting 2 having a substantially semi-circular wall-3 arid a wall 4 arranged approximately diametrically relative to the wall 3. A wall 5 of the casting is arranged concentrically relative to the wall 3 and in inwardly spaced relation thereto. Spaced partitions 6, 1, and 8 radiate from the wall 5 to the wall 3 and cooperate with the wall 4 to form comin the casting. If desired, the lower ends of the walls may be joined by abottom l 3 to make the compartments of pocket character.

It is also preferable l5, and "ion the outer face of the wall 3 to give the casting a finished appearance, the cover plates'being suitably fixed to the casting, as "at I! Fig. 3, and having leg or foot elements I! for supporting the casting above a counter or the like, not shown, on which it is designed to be mounted for operation.

'The compartments 8 to l2 vided with offset shoulders to receive peripheral flanges Is on bucket or can like devices 20 which fit into thecompartments formed by the wall arrangement noted. The cans 20 are preferably arranged for receiving washing and/or cleansing mediums.

In the can in compartment 9, for example it may be desirable to house a suitable saponaceous ammonium solution. The can in compartment H preferably is adapted to contain a cleanser such as benzine to cut therefrom any washing medium left on watch movement elements that may be washed therewith. 'The compartment I2 is arranged'to be'provided with a heating device 2| therein having a battle 2| thereover as later described.

It will be noted from the shapes of the compartments that when suitable devices are rotated in. the compartments, fluid contained therein is caused to be agitated and does not easily tend to follow the direction 'of rotationof .the rotating A better cleansing effect is thus produced on elements cleaned in the compartments.

to arrange cover plates H,

are preferablypro- A lower inner portion of the casting 2 adjacent the inner wall 5 is provided with a lateral extension 22, Fig. 5, which supports a cylindrical boss 23. The boss 23 is provided with a central bore, provided with a switch housing 24 at its lower end in which insulated contacts 25 and 26 are mounted. The upper end of the box 23 is provided with a sleeve 21, the upper edge of which rotatably supports an annular flange 28 at the lower end of a post 29, the extreme lower end 30 of the post being sleeved within the sleeve 21 and being open to expose the contacts 25 and 26 in the boss 23. I

Telescoped within the post 29 is a supplemental post 3| that is engaged at its upper end around one end of a conduit 32 in a hood casting 33. The lower end of the supplemental post 3| is provided with an insulating plug 34 whichseats contacts 35 and 36 that are engageable respectively with the contacts 25 and 26 in the boss 23.

If desired, a cover sleeve 31 may be mounted on the hood casting 33 in outwardly spaced concentrically spaced relation to the supplemental post 3| for telescoping over the post 29 to improve the appearance of the post structure. The sleeve 31 has a vertically arranged slot aligned with a rack 38 on the supplemental post 3| which;

rack is in mesh with a pinion 39, Fig. 4. The pinion 39 is fixedly mounted on a shaft 40, which is rotatably mounted at one end in ears 4| and 42, Fig. 2 mounted on and extending laterally from the upper end of the supplemental post on opposite sides of the rack, the pinion being m'ountedbetween such ears. The shaft extends substantially horizontally, preferably just above the upper edges of the casting compartments and beyond the'outer wall 3 of the casting and is preferably also mounted within a casing 44 so that the shaft may rotate relative thereto. A hub 45 is mounted on the outer end of the shaft 4|), which supports a hand wheel 46 that is provided with a pin 41 rotatably arranged in a spoke 48 of the hand wheel and which is engageable with an arm 49 of a lever that is pivoted, as at 59, on the casing 44. A spring 5| is also mounted on the casing 44 and bears outwardly on the arm 49 of the lever to force the arm 52 thereof inwardly, the arm 52 being provided with a pin 53 which is engageable in one of a series of apertures 54 respectively arranged adjacent each compartment in the casting for the purpose of aligning the hood casting with the respective compartments.

The shaft 4|! is also provided with a longitudinal bore for receiving a pin 55, having a knob 56 on its outer end for pressing the same inwardly to cause a tapered substantially conical cam 51 on the inner end of the pin to engage and move upwardly on arm 58 that is fixed at one end thereof to a pivot pin 59 mounted in the outer ends of the ears 4| and 42 on the supplemental post 3|. The pin 59 also supports one end of a pawl 60, the other end of which has a dog engageable between the teeth of the pinion 39 for retaining the pinion against movement in such a manner as to control vertical movements of the supplemental post, it being apparent thatas the knob 56 is forced inwardly the pawl is raised and the supplemental post lowers by gravity, the pinion running free in such a case.

The hood casting 33 contains wires 62 and 63 respectivel engaged with the contacts 35 and 36, the wires being connected with a motor 64 and one of the wires energizing a pilot light 65 mounted in the casting in series with the motor.

The motor 64 is mounted on a bracket 66 which, in turn, is supported on a cover plate 61, the cover plate being suitably secured, as at 68, to the hood casting to close its hollow interior at its outer end. The motor 64 is provided with a pinion 69 meshed with a gear 10, mounted on a shaft 1|, one end of which is iournaled in a bearing portion 12 of the hood casting.

A collar .or the like 13 fixed to the shaft 1| bears on the plate 61 to support the pinion 68 and gear 10 in meshing relation. The shaft 1| extends downward y through the plate 61 and supports, as by a fitting 14, a basket 15 the details of which are shown in Figs. 6 and 7.

The basket preferably consists of a wire screen shaped to form a hollow cylindrical body 16, Fig. 7, having a closed bottom 11 and a laterally directed annular flange 18 that is turned upwardly as at 19. A ring surrounds the flange portion 19 and supports a reinforcing strip 8| that follows the cross-sectional contour of the basket. Fins 82, are formed on the strip 8| and are vertically arranged below the annular flange 16 of the basket in such a manner as to cause an agitation of fluid in the compartments and direct the fluid into the basket when the basket is rotated in the compartments. Another ring 83 of greater height than the ring 80 is mounted on the shoulder 84 formed by the annular flange 18 of the basket and extends upwardly therefrom, the ring 83 having pins 85 thereon. The basket structure 16 to 84 is for receiving some of the hardier elements of watch movements that can. withstand contact with each other without ex-, cessive damage or wear to any of them.

In order to supp rt the more delicate elements of watch movements for cleaning the same, the basket device 86, Fig. '1, is provided, which consists of a wire mesh screen having recesses 81, 88

and 89 of suitable shape and number; the edges,

of the basket being supported by a ring 90, which fits within the ring 83 and seats on the shoulder 84 of the lower basket.

A screen cover 9| is arranged in such a manner as to be mounted above the wire basket 86 to retain devices in the recesses thereof in position,

and yet allow fluid to circulate therethrough for cleansing purposes.

Mounted above the basket 86 and in surrounding relation thereto is a ring 92 having avertically and horizontally arranged slot 93 .to form a bayonet joint with the pin 85 on the basket 18. The ring 92 has inwardly directed radially arranged arms 94 which connect with a hub 98 mounted on the lower end of the shaft 15 that is driven by the motor. Resilient blades 96 project radially from the hub 95. and have ends adapted to bear on the cover 9| to hold it in place when the basket is connected with the ring 92. The blades are of a length suflicient to extend substantially to the inner periphery of the ring 92 to cooperate with the arms 94 to agitate fluid in the basket and compartments when the bas-' kets are rotated to either cause washing and cleansing liquids to remove dirt, grease and the like from the watch movement elements or cause circulation of air over the elements to dry the same.

When watch movement elements are placed in the basket, the basket is usually placed in a washing solution of an ammonium compound in one compartment, the basket then being moved to another compartment to centrifuge the washing solution from the elements. The basket is then moved to a compartment containing a cleansing solution, such as benzine, to cut the washing solution. The basket is then moved back tothe centrifuging compartment and then to a drying compartment to dry the cleansing solution.

In orderto aid in drying and/or evaporating the cleansing solution, the compartment I2 is provided with a heater 2|. The heater itself is of suitable construction and is supported in a can or bucket-like structure 90, supported below an opening 90 in the compartment I2 as by a bracket I which may be suitably secured to the casting 2, as at IM and I02. The heating element I03 of the heater-is located under the disk shaped baille 2i and is controlled by electrical conduits I04 which. in turn, are controlled by a switch I05, the switch in turn being thermostatically controlled by the bi-metallic element I00 which makes and breaks a contact with the switch deon the post 29. The actuator I00 has spaced steps I00 and H0 projecting laterally therefrom in the path of the head of the switch arm I01. The steps I09 and H0 are angularly arranged relative to a horizontal plane and receive the switch head I 01 therebetween when the post 20 is rotated. when the post is rotated in an anticlockwise direction, the step I09 turns the switch on, whereas the step IIO forces the switch head I01 upwardly to turn the switch on when the post 29 is rotated in a clockwise direction.

A preferred form of wiring system for the present cleaning device is illustrated in Fig. 10, wherein III and H2 designate conventional electrical lead-in lines.

20 is the center contact shown in Fig. at the lower end of the boss 23 and 35 is the center contact in the supplemental post 3i which always contact each other when the post 3| is lowered. 2G in Fig. represents one lower contact of the series of contacts 26, III, Ill and IIS, Fig. 10, for energizing the motor when the contact 38, Fig. 5, engages the same, respectively, depending upon the position, rotatably, of the hood casting 33. M, Fig. 10, represents the motor, Fig. 3, and 65 is the pilot light which is in series circuit with the motor. The heater I03 and its thermostat control I00, together with the primary heater switch I01 are preferably arranged as shown.

H6, Fig. 10, represents a resistance in series circuit with the contacts II: and H5 which latter represent the contacts for the centrifuge compartment I0 and theheater compartment I2. This is an important feature of the present invention for the reason that liquid in the compartments 0 and II cause resistance to rotation of the basket and actuation of the motor, whereas air in the drying compartment I0 and evaporating compartment I2 eifect relatively little resistance to rotation of the basket. Without the resistance, rotation of the basket exceeds a safe limit and the resistance I I0 thus imparts a safety feature which prevents damage to the device.

In Fig. 9 the cleaning device is shown at rest pliedto the recesses thereof, whereupon the basket is reassembled.

Therack, pinion, and hand wheel are so related that the pin 41 on the hand wheel aligns with the lever arm 49 only when the basket is raised. The pin 41 may then be depressed to remove the pin engagement of the hand wheel with the casting so that the hood casting may be moved to present the basket in overlying relation to any I of the compartments in the casting 2. Ordinarily the first operation to be performed on watch movements parts is a washing operation in an ammonium solution contained in the compartment 9. The handwheel is then moved allow the supplemental post-3| to gravitate in I iiciently, the hand wheel 46 is turned which raises the post and breaks electrical contact to the 'motor.

ation is then repeated and the basket moved to to present the basket over the compartment 0; the pin 05 is depressed to unlatch the pawl and such a manner that the contacts 35 and 36 contact the contacts 25 and 26.

Gravitation of the supplemental post 3| simultane'ously causes gravitation of the basket holding the watch movement elements and, the motor being energized, the basket is rotated to effect frictional contact of the watch elements with washing fluid. The hood casting is of such shape that when the hood is positioned on the upper edges of one of the compartments the edges are sealed and all splash or escape of fluid is eliminated. When the watch elements have been washed suf- The basket thus ceases rotating. The pin 41 is then depressed and the hand wheel turned to move the hood casting over the drying compartment II) where the operation is repeated; the resistance IIG, Fig. 10. in this instance preventing excessively 'fast rotation during the centrifugal action in the compartment I0. The operthe compartment II where the washing solution is cut by the cleansing solution and the watch movement elements cleansed. The basket is then preferably moved back to the centrifuging compartment I0 for drying the cleansing solution and subsequently moved to the drying compartment for evaporating the cleansing medium by heat. The pilot 65 is energized simultaneously with energization of the motor and is de-energized when the motor is inactive in such a manner that the operator may determine the operative or inoperative condition of the device.

When the supplemental shaft 3| is moved or rotated to present the basket over the drying compartment I2, the switch actuator I00 automatically turns on the heater switch I05 and automatically turns off the heater switch when the basket is moved away from the compartment I2. The thermostatic control in the heater compartment prevents overheating and damage to the watch movement elements, and the baflie 2| prevents concentration of the heat to protect the watch parts particularly, and the cleaning device generally.

It is apparent therefore, that the present invention provides a convenient, relatively economical, highly efficient and substantially automatic cleaning device for watch movement elements.

What I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In a device of the character described, a base, a post on said base, a plurality of open top treating compartments in the base radially of the post, an arm telescopically and rotatably mounted on the post, means for locking the arm in alignment with selected compartments, a basket for containing watch parts to be treated rotatably mounted on the arm, a motor in the arm for rotating the basket, a rack on said arm, a pinion rotatably mounted on the post and having engagement with the rack, means for rotating the pinion for actuating the rack to raise and lower the arm to position the basket relative to the compartments, means engaging the pinion for locking the arm in selected position, and means on said pinion rotating means for releasing the pinion engaging means.

2. In a device of the characterdescribed, a base, a post on said base, a plurality of open top treating compartments in the base radially of the post, an arm movable vertically and rotatably mounted on the post, means for locking th arm in alignment with selected compartments, a basket for containing watch parts to be treated rotatably mounted on the arm, a motor on the arm for rotating the basket, means connected with the arm for raising and lowering same on the post to position the basket relative to the compartments, cooperative switch elements on the post and arm adapted to be engaged for effecting energlzation of the motor for rotating the basket only when the arm is in its lower position, a heater in one of the compartments, switch actuating means on the arm for movement therewith, and means operated by the switch actuating means in response to rotation of the arm to a position in alignment with the compartment having the with, means operated by the switch actuating a post on said base, a plurality of open top treating compartments in the base radially of the post, an arm telescopically and rotatably mounted on the post, means for locking the arm in alignment with selected compartments, a basket for containing watch parts to be treated rotatably mounted on the arm, a motor on the arm for rotating the basket, means connected with the arm for raising and lowering same on the post to position the basket relative to the compartment, means on the arm raising and lowering means having engagement with the arm locking means for releasing sam only when the arm is in raised condition, and cooperative switch elements on the arm and post adapted to be engaged for eflecting energization of the motor to rotate the basket only when the arm is in its lower position.

5. In a device of the character described, a base, a post on said base, a plurality of open top treating compartments in the base radially of the post, an arm telescopically and rotatably mounted on the post, means for locking the arm in alignment with selected compartments, the outer portion of said arm being adapted to close said selected compartment, a basket for containing watch parts to be treated rotatably mounted on the arm, a motor in the arm for rotating the basket, a rack on said arm, a pinion rotatably mounted on the post and having engagement with the rack, means for rotating the pinion for actuating the rack to raise and lower the arm to position the basket relative to the compartment, means engaging the pinion for locking the arm in selected position, means on said pinion rotating means for releasing the pinion'engaging means, and cooperative switch elements adapted to be engaged for effecting energization of the motor for rotating the basket only when the arm is in its lower position.

ROY B. KEEHNEL. 

